Homer’s Odyssey

What do Odysseus’s dilemmas and his responses to those dilemmas mean to us today?

Toby Brothers Director of the London and Paris Literary Salons

A man who has been through bitter experiences and travelled far enjoys even his sufferings after a time.

Homer’s narrative poem explores the formation of the self: we explore how identity is claimed through the development of Telemachus’ and Odysseus’ characters. It is an extraordinary examination of how the self negotiates its way home, and how the self is forced to carve out its recognisable aspects in order to return to its loved ones.

For Jung the symbolic patterns and rituals of the ancient world were crucial to reading and understanding modern psychology, and our text-based study of The Odyssey will bring to the surface those elements of the epic that underpin, or have been used to illuminate, psychoanalytic thought.

The course is limited to 12 participants.

Fee: £90 for the 6 study evenings.

External Co- Convenor: Basil Lawrence

We will be reading from the Robert Fagles translation of The Odyssey; if you have a different translation, the specific textual references may not cohere.

There will be an optional excursion to Tate Britain on Saturday 5 December to view paintings based on events in The Odyssey and to engage in creative written response to the study. More information will be given during the course and can also be obtained from Toby Brothers at litsalon@gmail.com

Toby Brothers conceived of, developed and leads the Literary Salon in London and Paris. Her experience includes teaching literary seminars in areas that range from creative writing to women’s literature and film, world religions and wisdom traditions, African American Literature to Shakespeare for adults, secondary and primary school students. She has over 30 years of innovative teaching and seminar experience in France, the USA, Japan and the UK. Her post-graduate studies include advanced degrees in education, literature and psychology and a broad expanse of humanities and world religions course work.

Convenor: Basil Lawrence

We will be reading from the Robert Fagles translation of The Odyssey; if you have a different translation, the specific textual references may not cohere.